Campagnolo Ultratorque or Powertorque on Brompton?

[chriscross1966]

Has anyone here fitted a Campagnolo Ultra or Power Toque crankset to their Brompton?... is it as simple as getting a pair of 68mm threaded outside-bearing cups and a set of fittings?.. ASsuming that Brompton uses a 68mm English threaded BB here.... or have Bromtpon (as usual) used something slightly different that is non-standard?... If you have fitted one what were the issues with the chainrings (except for Campy's out-of-BCD proprietary chainring mounting screw, I can fix that, I have a lathe). If you've fitted both at different times would you recommend one over the other?... I know that I do have an option of using a 2006 or previous Campy crankset as it fitted square taper BB's, but the BB in Henrietta is four and a bit years old, I might as well change it while I'm having my midlife crisis, she's already getting a lot of titanium and carbon bits plus an 11 speed Alfine conversion and a custom made SON front hub...

 

[TheDoctor]

I've got no idea, but I think we need photos. That sounds very nice!!

 

[12boy]

Brompton uses standard English thread 68 mm bottom brackets. Just curious, why do you want to do this? BTW old Campy square taper spindles/cranks are usually ISO, although the cranks seem OK with JIS spindles in my experience.

 

[Dan Morinary]

I'm putting a bespoke spoiler on mine.
Need down force man.
Oh. I haven't got a brompton.
Wrong thread.

 

[chriscross1966]

I did think about getting a square taper one, but they're a lot harder to find in carbon fibre, and my midlife crisis demands carbon fibre pedals. Anyway, following a conversation with my local bike shop (Warlands in Oxford) I've picked up a set of Campy Centaurs and found some intermediately flash bearings to put in them. Warlands are doing a significant amount of the specialised work to the bike and I generally include setting up bearing preloads as specialised so I'll get the cups from them. They have done that sort of conversion before so hopefully it won't be too hard

 

[chriscross1966]

For pedals, read cranks please.... the pedals are going semi-spd, I think I can make a replica of the Brompton folding pedal middle plastic bit in ally and build in or bolt on the spd platform from an old set of SPD's...

 

[12boy]

You can buy Shimano 2 way pedals, I have 2 pair, one on my Xootr Swift and the other pair on my Brompton. Thousands of miles and no issues. Very convenient to be able to wear sandals or heavy boots when the fancy takes me. BTW Velo Orange sells some nice light pedals with easily replaced cartridges that are very light ...236 grams for touring pedals.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I did think about getting a square taper one, but they're a lot harder to find in carbon fibre, and my midlife crisis demands carbon fibre pedals. Anyway, following a conversation with my local bike shop (Warlands in Oxford) I've picked up a set of Campy Centaurs and found some intermediately flash bearings to put in them. Warlands are doing a significant amount of the specialised work to the bike and I generally include setting up bearing preloads as specialised so I'll get the cups from them. They have done that sort of conversion before so hopefully it won't be too hard

Just another endorsement fir Warlands ... A proper bike shop.

 

[chriscross1966]

You can buy Shimano 2 way pedals, I have 2 pair, one on my Xootr Swift and the other pair on my Brompton. Thousands of miles and no issues. Very convenient to be able to wear sandals or heavy boots when the fancy takes me. BTW Velo Orange sells some nice light pedals with easily replaced cartridges that are very light ...236 grams for touring pedals.

yes but they don't fold... closest alternative is an MKS removeable that is SPD+Platform, and they don't use the same cleats... I've got SPD's on my recumbent and my Sinclair C5 so I'd like to stick with them.

 

[chriscross1966]

Just another endorsement fir Warlands ... A proper bike shop.

Yep, even if I've got them tricking out a clown bike...

 

[chriscross1966]

Annoyingly I found myself with the wrong chainring.... all the other bits are here... I do have a chainring that will fit, but won't work with the current chain cos it's too short as the chainring is a 52 and I don't have a spare chain to hand.... grrr.... oh well... next weekend.... I have solved the pedal crisis by ordering a pair of Exustars, they have a model with SPD one side and platform the other (so that the' right hand pedal straight away) and looking at it the SPD part is demountable from the pedal, hopefully I can mod the Brompton folding pedal to take the SPD part and still fold correctly... News from the far East is that my carbon rims ship Tuesday so should be here early the week after, we're still chasing the Germans for the custom SON-XS hub for the front.... I'm still in quandary about brake levers.... I've bought a pair of Brompton Black Editions, (well on ebay, so they're on their way here now) as well as a pair of J+L ultralightweights.... which I might use.... Im no weightweenie, and the Bromtpon ones do look lovely, but if the J+L's look as nice in the flesh as they do in the pictures then I'll have a real decision to make.... the front caliper is now for the chop if I can get the Campagnolo Veloce I've picked up on ebay (brand new, for a fiver) can be made to fit.... not because there was anything wrong with the Brompton one, but this one is black, and says "Campagnolo" on it. .. Have also ordered a Chris King headset, not because there's anything wrong with the Brompton one, but this one is black and says "Chris King" on it That leaves the standard Brompton bit list once its finished as main frame, possibly brake levers, handlebar stem and mudguards, though they'll be changing to new ones cos my current pair are tatty and silver... that said if anyone has a set of 17Carbon's carbon mudguards, I'm in the market...

 

[chriscross1966]

Pile of shiny things arrived at work today... the green leather PDW grips, the Exustar pedals and the H+H titanium half-rack.... I'm impressed with the speed the last of those arrived, shipped from Taiwan in around a week....

 

[12boy]

How about some pics with all these little tasties?

 

[chriscross1966]

ATM we're waiting on wheel rims, brake levers and the front hub. I need the brake levers to do the handlebar upgrades, not going to do the front fork and headset until the wheel is ready for it, and the same goes for the rear triangle... Cheapy chainring on order from SJS so hopefully BB and crankset can get done this week. Pedals will need a weekend day fabricating a Brompton folding pedal centre out of aluminium so I can bolt the Exustar cleat holder to it... Was hoping to just strengthen the plastic but now I've got the bits to hand that doesn't look feasible... I'm hoping to have it done by Christmas, though getting the gearing sorted out might take longer... I'll just have to get a few rear sprockets and see what suits... And it depends on when the 60t front turns up....

 

[chriscross1966]

Ultratorque bracket in, Carbon Compact Centaur fitted..... needs a bit of fettling yet as there is a minor rub as I fold, but I can make some shorter chainring bolts to solve that, the current ones need washers as spacers to replace the other chainring...also might need to shave the LH side of the bottom bracket itself as I have pedal-slop issues, but they might also bee a bdding in issue that will clear up...